Bridge-gate.



N0. 808,531. PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905. J. FOWLER.

BRIDGE GATE.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 21,1904

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. J. FOWLER.

BRIDGE GATE.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.21,19o4.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN FOWLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRIDGE-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2G, 1905.

Appiimion flied November 21,1904. serai No. 233,780.

To @ZZ whom, 7125 nca/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FOWLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Bridge-Gate, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to bridge-gates which move in vertical guideslocated on the bridge approaches; and theobjects of my improvements are,first, to have the gates operated automatically by the turning of thebridge; second, to provide a continuous positive connection between thegates and the bridge; third, to facilitate the easy and rapid adjustmentof the connections between the gates and the bridge; fourth, to providea simple, cheap, and durable construction, and other objects to becomeapparent from the description to follow.

I^Ieretofore bridge-gates have been made wherein the gates wereautomatically opened and closed by the turning of the bridge; but theconstruction and connection of the parts were so complicated anddiflicult to adjust that they were considered impractical. Furthermore,the presence of numerous gearwheels or levers which were required causedthe whole apparatus to be moved with difficulty. These objectionablefeatures are all overcome by the use of my invention, which consists ofproviding a vertically moving gate on each approach which iscounterweighted to just barely drop down or shut by gravity andconnected by a cable to the bridge in such manner that the gates are upor open when the bridge is closed or open for traHic and are down orclosed when the bridge is open or closed for traffic.

To better describe my invention, I have illustratedthe same in the twoaccompanying sheets of drawings, forming a part of this specification,in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a bridge and gates embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is anelevation of one of the abutments, showing a portion of the gatestructure in section; and Fig. 4 is a detailsection of thecable-fastening.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The bridge 5 is arranged to pivot about in the center on a center pier 6in the usual manner and may be operated by manual or steam power.

The bridge-abutments 7 are provided with the usual step or offset 8, andthe idlers 9 on .upper end ofthe gate 2() at 23.

the ends of the bridge engage the track 10 when the bridge is shut oropen for traffic. The construction thus far described does not embodyany part of my invention and may construction at one end of the bridgeonly, it

being understood that the whole construction is duplicated at the otherend. One of the posts 11 or a continuation of it in the form of a pipe13 extends down in the abutment 7 to a point below the bottom of theriver 14, where it is connected by an elbow 15 to a horizontal pipe 16,extending underneath the river 14 to a point near the center pier 6. Thepipe 16 near the pier 6 is connected by means of an elbow 1.7 to thelower end of a pipe 18, which extends up substantially vertically toabout the top of the pier 6. The opposing sides of the posts 11 areprovided with vertical guides 19, between which the gate or door 2() isarranged to freely slide. To reduce the amount of power required tooperate the gate 20, a counterweight 21 is preferably arranged to travelin one post 11, being connected through a cable ,22 to the rI`he cable22 is double a portion of the distance and passes over the sheaves 24,which are pivoted in the channel 12. Another cable 25 is secured to thetop end of the gate 20 at 23 and passes over the sheaves 26, pivoted inthe channel 12. Thence the cable 25 extends down the hollow post 11 andpipe 13 around the sheave 27 in the elbow l5, through the pipe 16,around the sheave 28 in the elbow 17, thence up through the pipe 18,over the sheave 29, pivoted to a bracket secured to the top of the pier6, and finally to a point on the bridge 5 slightly beyond the center,where its end is secured in a hole by means of a wedge 30. The posts 11are of sufficient height above the roadway to allow the gate 20 to beraised to a height so its lower end will be above the highest vehicleintended to cross the bridge.

In Fig. 1 the full lines indicate the closed position of the bridge, andthe dotted lines indicate the open position ofthe bridge. The connectionof the end of the cable 25 to the bridge 5 is such that when the bridgeis closed the gates are open and when the bridge is open the gates areclosed. The weight of IOO the gate 2O is such as to overcome thecombined weight ofthe counterweight 21 and cable 25, so that the cable25 is always held taut.

In operation if the bridge 5 is turned from the closed or full-lineposition, as viewed in Fig. l, to the open or dotted-line position thegates will both move downward simultaneously with the turning of thebridge, because the ends of the cables 25 which are secured to thebridge will be moved by the bridge toward the sheaves 29.

If from constant use either one or both the cables 25 shou'ld becomestretched, they can readily be adjusted to the proper position bywithdrawing the wedge 30 when the brid e is open, pulling up all theslack, and then rep acing the wedge 30 again.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a bridge-gate, a gate arranged to travel a determined distancevertically, a bridge arranged to turn on a pivot a determined distance,and a cable having one end rigidly connected to said gate and itsremaining end rigidly connected to said bridge at such distance from itspivot that the complete movement of the bridge will cause a completemovement of said gate.

2. In a bridge-gate, a gate arranged to travel in vertical ways,l abridge arrangedto be opened and closed and a cable having one endrigidly secured to said gate and one end adjustably secured to saidbridge by a wedge driven into a hole to'clamp said cable, whereby thegravitating force of said gate-is constantly exerted against said bridgeand the gate and bridge are moved simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication, inpresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of November, 1904,at Chicago, Illinois.

JOHN FOWLER.

Witnesses:

R. J. JAcKER, FRED J. Scl-IAD, Jr.

